


seven heads

by alexandrawest



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: AU, Bisexual Character, Mild Gore, Minor Armin Arlert/Eren Yeager, Multi, Past Mikasa Ackerman/Annie Leonhart, Trans Female Character, Violence, rivamika
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-04
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2018-04-12 21:33:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4495512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexandrawest/pseuds/alexandrawest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>i saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.</p>
<p> Mikasa has seen a lot of horrible things as a detective, but this time she might be against the devil.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. turning pages

 “But when a woman decides to sleep with a man, there is no wall she will not scale, no fortress she will not destroy, no moral consideration she will not ignore at its very root: there is no God worth worrying about.”

― Gabriel García Márquez, Love in the Time of Cholera

 

 

_All Petra Ral had wanted was a carefree night out with her friends._

_The divorce had been rough, draining her from all her powers. Her ex-husband has insisted on getting the summer cottage, the place that Petra held dearest of all her earthly belongings. Thankfully, her lawyer had managed to get her the cottage, but at a hard price; Petra had to pay a long penny for it, which nearly cost her her mental health. Now, a few months after the divorce was finalized, all Petra wanted was to forget the past six year of her life, and turn a new page in her life. She deserved a fun night out, so she had called up her friends for a few drinks downtown._

_As she now laid in the pool of her own blood in a bed that wasn’t her own, mouth filling with the metallic-tasting liquid, all she could think of was how unfair life can be. At only 37 years old, she hadn’t really done anything. She had never visited France, never learned to play the piano, never seen the polar lights, never rode an elephant… The bucket list she had done as a teenager was only halfway done._

_Yes, life is truly unfair, Petra Ral thought as she spluttered out a last, shaky breath._

 

**Chapter one; Turning Pages  
** _Earlier that day_

There was a tingle in her stomach when she looked in the mirror, and a small smile on her lips. It had been a long time since she last wore make-up, and the woman staring back at her from the mirror seemed like a stranger. A nice looking stranger though, that she had to admit to herself.

 A thin sheet of gloss covered her lips, and her eyes were framed with mascara. The shimmering eyeshadow really brought out the greens in her eyes, and she looked younger in years. To be completely honest, she was actually quite pleased with the result. Her ex-husband never complimented her, but he always remembered to remind her when she messed up. The last year of her marriage, the nasty remarks had been daily, and one day she had snapped. Now, six months later, she was ready to start again.

Correcting the hem of her blue dress one more time, she grabbed her purse and headed out. The cab was already waiting outside, and she hoped that she wasn’t too late. Petra Ral hated people who were late, but choosing a dress had taken longer than she had expected.

 

The bar was nice, with modern décor and a fresh atmosphere. The dim lights casted shadows on the floor, creating a feeling of class and elegance. After five years of living a dull life with not even a small escape to something nicer, classier, this was just what Petra needed.

Her friends Jeanine, Sofia, Bianca and Asa were all sitting in a lounge when she arrived. Someone had ordered a bottle of champagne, and there was already a glass waiting for her. She flashed her friends a wide smile as she sat down.

“You look amazing!” Asa complimented, eyeing the dress with a smile. Everyone else agreed, and Petra felt herself blush.

“Did you have surgery done?” Jeanine asked, eyeing her bust curiously. Petra blushed even more, and let out an embarrassed laughter.

“No, I just bought a new bra” she confessed. It was actually true; for the first time in her life, Petra had invested in some nice lingerie, instead of relaying on her usual nude ones she had bought many years ago. The confession made the whole group giggle, and Petra felt herself relax. She knew that the divorce was the right call, and hope for a better life awakened inside her.

The night continued as it usually did when the four of them go together; Asa got way to drunk and wanted to dance, while Bianca tried to hit on the bartender. That left Jeanine and Petra alone in the booth, sipping on the champagne in a comfortable silence. It wasn’t long until Jeanine looked at her phone and looked at Petra apologetically.

“Sorry, I have to go. The babysitter just texted that Anton’s coming down with a flu. I’m so sorry, but I’ll make it up to you. Dinner at my place next week?” Jeanine really looked sorry, and Petra instantly felt bad for her.

“Sure!” Petra smiled “As long as I get to pick the wine”

 Jeanine let out a laughter and nodded. “You always do” her friend reminded as she walked away, leaving Petra alone in the booth that now seemed too big for just one person.

Petra looked around for her friends, but they were nowhere to be found. With a small sigh, she decided to go home. Now that she really thought about it, she was a bi tired. As she walked towards the exit, a dark voice startled her. She gasped and turned around, finding herself staring into the bluest eyes she had ever seen. He was handsome. Not like Channing Tatum or George Clooney, more like Mike, from Desperate Housewives, her favourite TV-show.  

“Can I buy you a drink?” he asked with a crooked smile. Petra’s heart started beating faster, and a warmth spread in her chest. The alcohol she had consumed earlier made her feel courageous, so she nodded and sat down next to him. He introduced himself as Parker Holdings, as he grabbed her hand and gave it a soft squeeze. His hands were soft, she noted, a quality she had always enjoyed in men. Her ex-husbands hands were always hard and gruff from work, and his touch had always made her cringe.

They chatted for a while, and he told Petra all about his adventures and life. She learned that he was a dentist, who enjoyed sailing and voluntary wok on his past time. It seemed too good to be true, even Petra could see that, but he seemed so sincere, so real that there was no way he'd be lying. She told him about her divorce, a subject that usual was incredibly hard for her to talk about. For some reason, she felt so comfortable with this man that it kind of just slipped. Instead of making her feel like she had overshared, he just smiled sympathetically and told her that he would never let go of an amazing woman like her.

 The flash of lights indicated that the bar was closing. Petra looked around in question; had time really gone by that fast? A quick glance on her watch confirmed it, yes, it was indeed 2 am already. Parker smiled and shook his head, almost as if he was embarrassed. The gesture seemed boyish, cute in a way, and Petra felt herself more and more enchanted by him.

"Uh, I actually live in a motel right now... There were some pipes that needed fixing in my house so I had to move out for a bit." Parker explained, looking her deeply into her eyes. "I also have a bottle of wine back there. Would you care to join me? I'd hate to say goodbye already. It's not too often one meets a woman like you, Miss Ral"

Petra’s bod filled with lust; she couldn't remember the last time he had felt herself so wanted. It wasn't like her, not at all, but she nodded, grabbed his hand, and together they started making their way towards his motel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The alarm clock rudely interrupted Mikasa Ackerman’s dreams. Her groan echoed in her small bedroom when she woke up, evidence of her dismay in waking up this early. The first thing she felt, like every morning, was a need for a black coffee and a cigarette; Lucky Strike blue. She didn’t _really_ care about what label her cigarettes were, but she was a slave to her habits. As she wandered to the kitchen and turned on her coffee machine, a chill ran down her spine. It was freezing in her apartment. She looked over to the balcony, and noticed that she had left it open over the night.

“Fuck” she muttered, and walked over to it, closing it loudly. Even if she lived on the third floor, working as a police had taught her some valuable lessons when it came to safety. Never leave your door unlocked, never leave your windows open, never leave the house without pepper spray and your phone. She blamed her thoughtlessness on the stress that had followed after being promoted to detective. Even if it was over five months ago, she still hadn’t managed to make her everyday life normal again.

Her job as a detective was rewarding, but also tough at times. She had witnessed many horrid things; dismembered heads hanging from bridges, dead children stuffed in bags and women beat up so badly that they had to be identified via dental record. Sometimes she wondered why she even continued with it, but she knew that it was the only thing she could to. Working as a detective was her true calling. She knew she could have chosen differently; joined her brother Eren and his fiancé Armin to study abroad. They were both studying in Germany, and the emails and postcards they sent revealed that they were both happy. They had even got a dog, a small Labrador called Franz. It was only a matter of time before the two would get married, move into a small house and adopt a child. They had it all planned out. Mikasa could never see herself live a life like that. At 26 years old, she had witnessed many of her friends getting married, buying houses, making children... She never saw what the big appeal of it was. Children were messy, and they demanded time and love, both things that Mikasa didn't value too high. Houses needed to be tended, and for a relationship to work she had to invest in it, being 100% involved all the time. Mikasa Ackerman was not ready for anything like that.  Her last relationship had gone sour when her ex-girlfriend Annie had wanted to move in together, while just the thought of sharing space with someone sent Mikasa running the other way.

A quick glance at the clock told Mikasa that she had to hurry if she wanted to make it to the station before Levi, her boss. Levi Ackerman had only been her boss for a month or two, but had during that time managed to piss Mikasa off almost daily. The only thing that they shared was their last name. Mikasa was loud, aggressive and passionate in her work, while Levi was cool, collected and always following the rules. They were complete opposites, and for what Mikasa could tell, it was not in the sappy rom-com opposites attract kind of way. Grabbing her jacket and backpack, she started walking to the bus-stop, hoping that she’d make it in time.

 

 

_Gooooood morning from us here at Radio Babylon to all our listeners! It is seven o’ five am, and like they say, the early bird catches the worm! I say fuck that, and let’s listen to some rock’n’roll! Let’s start our day with a fine ass classic, I’m talkin ‘bout House of the Rising sun by The Animals! If you don’t know this song, then I don’t know what the hell you are doing with your life. As always, I’m your host Ymir Goldstein, have a great morning!_

 

 

The first drag of her cigarette hit the back of her throat in a pleasant way, its smoky aroma mixing with the taste of the acidic coffee. Mikasa had tried many fine meals and drank many fine wines, but in her opinion, there was nothing like the combination of coffee and cigarettes. She watched people enter the station, and she knew that she had to follow them soon. Not yet though. First she had to smoke her cigarette and drink her coffee. Otherwise, her day would feel off.

 

When Mikasa walked into the station, almost everyone was already there, writing reports and finish up cases. It had been a silent and easy month; the cases varied from bar fights that ended in someone getting killed to suspicious deaths that were later ruled as suicides.

Mikasa walked over to her desk, which was for once empty, except for the small cactus that she had gotten from her neighbour a few months back. With a heavy sigh, Mikasa took up a file from cabinet next to her desk, and started reading through it. She was to testify in a court-hearing in a few days, and she wanted to be sure what to say. The case was simple enough; a young woman had been found strangled to death in the house she shared with her boyfriend. It was obvious that he had done it, all the evidence pointed to him, but since he didn't confess, she had to appear in court and explain what she had witnessed when she arrived to the scene and made the arrest.

Mikasa looked at the picture of the victim, a young woman named Natalia Hill, and sighed. The woman was smiling widely in the photo, her blonde hair flowing in the wind. It was sad that her life had ended. Any death was sad, but this one had struck a nerve in Mikasa. Not only because the victim looked just like one of her friends, Historia, but also because Natalia had had so much to live for. Her mother had told them that she had just gotten accepted into the university of her dreams, and that her whole life was about to start. Then, one night in October, Natalia’s jealous boyfriend Nicholas Miller had decided that she was cheating on him, and strangled her after an argument.

"I’ll never understand humans" Mikasa muttered for herself.

"Yeah, me neither" Mikasa let out a surprised gasp and turned around, facing the owner of the voice who had startled her. She found herself staring into the crispy blue eyes of her boss.

"Jesus Christ, stop creeping up on me like that!" she sighed angrily to him. Levi scoffed and handed Mikasa a coffee.

"A body’s been found back in Lovehill Motel. Grab your things and follow me" his voice was gruff and bored like always. Mikasa accepted the coffee and grabbed her things before following Levi, who had already started walking towards the elevator. She noticed that he pressed the button with the sleeve of his coat before turning to face her.

"You might want to drink that up before we arrive at the scene" he said, nodding towards the take-away cup in her hand "From what I heard, it isn't a pretty sight"

 

 

_Woo-ho, wasn’t that some good shit!? Welcome back, you’re listening to Radio Babylon at 101,8 FM, and I’m your host Ymir Goldstein. It’s a rainy day, so I advise all of you listeners to grab an umbrella before headin’ out. Hell, you should steal one from that colleague who’s been acting like a bitch towards you for the last weeks. We all know who I’m talking about, ain’t that right? Some more fine-ass music comin’ up, we’ve got some Dio with the song holy diver, followed up with some Black Sabbath. You know what to do, raise up the volume and let’s fucking rock!_

 

 

 

When Levi said that the scene wouldn’t' be a pretty sight, it was a clear understatement. The small motel room was dark, and the stench of blood clear in the air. The once purple walls were now splattered with blood, even the ceiling had some spots on it.

"Wow. Someone went on a rampage" Mikasa muttered as she looked around in the room. She wanted to get a clear view of the surroundings before taking a look at the body. She knew from earlier experiences that once she saw the body that would be all she could concentrate on. After a few minutes she walked over to Levi, who was already standing next to the bed, gazing upon the victim. When Mikasa looked down at the body, she couldn't help but to gasp. Her stomach turned, and for a second she thought she was going to throw up. Thankfully, the feeling passed after a second of holding in her breath.

The woman in front of them had been butchered. Her stomach was opened in four slices; each spreading out around her. From what Mikasa could see, all of her insides were still intact. The coroner, Hanji, still had to verify that later. The woman was still wearing her underwear; dark red from the blood that had soaked into every fabric around the victim. 

"Anything you can tell us about the victim?" Levi's voice was neutral, almost as if the scene in front of them didn't affect him at all. Mikasa knew the truth though; Levi would most likely, just like her, have a glass of scotch or some alcohol of his choice to try and forget about the horrors of the world when he got home.

The crime scene investigator, Jean Kirschtein, who was leaning over the woman’s body sighed and shrugged, something that he always did before he answered. Sometimes Mikasa wondered if that was a habit he had from younger days when he was bullies. He hadn’t really talked about it, but Mikasa’s best friend Sasha had been in the same school as him and told her about it. From what Mikasa had gathered, high school was not a pleasant time for Jean.

"Victim's female, mid-twenties to mid-thirties. She doesn’t' have a ring on, so I guess that she's unmarried."

"The killer might have taken it with her" Mikasa suggested, interrupting Jean. He shook his head and pointed to the bag on the floor.

"Nah, don't think so. All of her belonging are already here. Nothing seems to be missing."

Mikasa felt a pang of annoyance in her chest. She should have noticed that.

"From what I can tell, she was sliced up post-mortem. From the bruising on her sides, I'd guess the cause of death would be blood loss from the stab-wound to the chest." It wasn’t until now that Mikasa noticed what stab wound Jean was referring to. The gaping hole in the woman’s stomach had taken all her attention, so she hadn't notice the small wound on her chest. It was hard to imagine that that would have been the cause of death, when there was so much more damage done to the poor woman’s body. "But you know, I might me mistaken. We won't know for sure until the autopsy." Jean continued.

 

Levi and Mikasa stayed on the crime scene for an hour or so, interviewing the other guests and the owner of the motel. No one had heard or seen anything. The only thing they found out was that the room was rented to a Parker Holdings. The name turned out to be fake after Levi called up someone to check on it. The owner couldn’t give them a good description of the man, other than “white and normal-looking”. Mikasa could see that it annoyed Levi, who was very precise when I came to detail.  

The clock was already two in the afternoon when they left the crime scene and headed back to the station. Mikasa sighed as she looked out of the car-window. It was going to be a long day, and she could already feel a headache building up.

 

 

 

_Hello my dearest listeners, I hope that your Sunday has started with a loud fucking bang! It’s three o’ clock, and I’m just getting started. We’re having a small contest over here on Radio Babylon, where you have a chance to win tickets to see none other than the great Aerosmith in the party capital of the world, Rrrrio de Janeiro! This is a price I’d kill for, but sadly that’s not what the contest is about. I want you to call in, and tell me about the wildest party you ever been to. The one with the most fucked up story wins, so come the fuck on and call me. The number’s the same as always, 555-69698. Before we start, let’s listen to Uriah Heep’s Easy Livin. You’re listening to Radio Babylon, with Ymir Goldstein in the studio._

 

 

 

 

The coroner, Hanji Zoe, greeted the duo with her usual wide smile.

"If it isn't my favourite pair!" she greeted, her tone as joking as always. Mikasa answered her with a stern smile. Hanji was one of Mikasa's favourite persons on the force. When she first had gotten to know her, Hanji was still transitioning from male to female. Many of their colleagues didn't take it so well, since many of them were not only religious, but also extremely conservative. It wasn't until last year that the mean dabs and shit-talking had ended. For some reason, the bullshit never fazed Hanji. Mikasa had learned that she had gotten a lot worse reactions from her family, but Mikasa hadn't asked any extra questions.

"Whoever did this, had a lot of aggressions inside him" Hanji said as she removed the white sheet covering the body. Now that all the blood was washed away, Mikasa could see the victims face clearly. She was beautiful, with her long pale lashes and light auburn hair. “Our vic was killed by a single stab wound to the chest, puncturing the right lung, but that wasn’t enough to whoever killed her. After she had suffocated on her own blood, he proceeded to cut her stomach open, as you can see.”

Hanji proceeded to explain something to them, but Mikasa was no longer listening. She couldn’t stop staring at the woman in front of her, who’s life had ended way too soon by someone else’s hand. Mikasa sent out a silent promise to the woman. _I’ll find whoever did this to you._


	2. standing still

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whooops guess who forgot about this story? (it me) 
> 
> Hope someone's still reading, I'll try to post the next chapter within one year. Hopefully & probably sooner.

 

"O serpent heart hid with a flowering face!  
Did ever a dragon keep so fair a cave?  
Beautiful tyrant, feind angelical, dove feather raven, wolvish-ravening lamb! Despised substance of devinest show, just opposite to what thou justly seemest - A dammed saint, an honourable villain!"

― William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

  
  


  
  


**Chapter two; Standing Still**   
  


The station was empty apart from them. It was already 11pm, but Mikasa knew that she couldn't get any sleep, so she might as well stay. Judging from the stubble and darker than usual circles under his eyes, Levi had the same thing in mind.

"So we're dealing with a psychopath with anger issues" Mikasa sighed as she and Levi looked at the board in front of them. The board had a picture of the victim, Petra Ral, on it, and a few notes, but Mikasa knew that after a few days it would be full of scribbles, pictures and testimonials. Solving a case was like solving a puzzle, but with all the pieces spread around, almost impossible to find.   
  
  All they knew of the victims movements on the night she died was that she had been at a new bar downtown with a group of her friends from approximately 9 to 12pm, which after no one of her friends had any idea where she had went. There was a chance that she had stayed in the bar after meeting someone, but her friends had thought the idea seemed far-fetched. Petra wasn't like that, they had said. She's not the kind of person who stays alone in a bar, or goes home with a stranger. When it came to the motive, there were once again no leads. They had interviewed countless of Ral's friends and family members, but none of them seemed to know how this could have happened to someone like her. Even her ex-husband, who Mikasa would describe with the words sleazy and douchebag seemed upset over her death. Even if Mikasa didn't buy his tears or anguish-filled questions, the man had an alibi. That meant that they had no leads whatsoever. Even if was under 48 hours since the murder was committed, it still irritated Mikasa to no ends that the case already seemed like a hard one.

"You think he'll kill again?" she asked, biting on her lower lip in thought. The scene she had witnessed today was something that would haunt her for a long time, something she hoped that no other woman would ever have to go through, nor did she want to see anything like that ever again.

"Hard to say." Levi answered deep in thought "Hopefully not, but luck is rarely on our side." Mikasa knew what he meant. It was incredible how many times she had witnessed a killer walk after one missing piece of evidence, after an alibi that was faker than a pornstar's boobs, or something equally ridiculous. So many times had a case gone up in smoke because of something that could essentially be described as bad luck. She remembered one case where a woman who had beat up her own kids walked because a lab assistant had forgotten to wear gloves when he was handling evidence. That had been seen as tampering with evidence and just like that; the whole case fell apart.   
  
 "I don't think there's much we can do until we get the security tapes from the bar" Levi muttered and pinched the bridge of his nose, something he always did when he was frustrated. Mikasa nodded, she knew that they were basically just staying up and staring at the board for nothing.  It was already pitch-dark outside, and probably freezing too. The young detective had no interest in walking home, so she stood up with a sigh and shook her head as a sign of defeat.

"You're probably right" She started making her way out of the meeting room. "I'll go sleep in my office. See you in a few hours." Levi didn't reply, and Mikasa didn't stick around to wait for a goodnight.

 

_It is 2am and time for me to leave to studio to go home and get wasted! Radio Babylon wishes you all a happy night and we'll see you tomorrow! I'll leave you with some sweet Kansas, with the classic Dust in the wind. As always, I'm your host Ymir Goldstein with Radio Babylon, have a good one!_

 The only sound that could be heard in the hall was her shoes hitting the ground as she walked up to her office. The lights on the ceiling flickered, something that the janitor should have fixed months ago. Still, that didn't bother Mikasa. It was something she had grown used to. The station had become a second home for her, and a sense of calm filled her as she stepped into the small room that had for almost half a year functioned as her office. Furnished quite simply; a desk, a sofa and a file cabinet, the small room didn't reveal much of its owner's personality. The only personal belonging in the whole room was a small picture, hidden away in the third drawer on her desk. She walked over to the drawer and opened it before carefully taking out the picture. She stared down at the faces of three smiling teenagers, and sighed. Things had been easier back then, she thought as she looked at the old image of herself, Eren and Armin. The picture was taken when they all were 17 years old, and Mikasa had a short punk-phase going on. Her grey eyes were lined with black eyeliner, and the vest she wore was studded and filled with patches.  Eren was tanned, and his hair had blonde streaks in it. She recalled that he had dyed it for an audition, to a part which he never got. Armin looked so much younger in the picture, the weird bowl cut and chubby cheeks something that the blonde male had left behind years ago. A sense of nostalgia filled her, and she felt the need to call Eren and Armin. She knew that they were probably awake, eating breakfast together, but something stopped her from calling. With a sigh she put the picture away, before walking over to the sofa, laying down on the worn out fabric. She breathed in the familiar smell and closed her eyes. It didn't take long before sleep took over, and images of dead women and blood filled her mind.

 

 

 

 

He watched the young woman at the bar closely. She seemed drunk, but not in an obnoxious way. Tipsy, was the word to describe the state of mind that the woman seemed to be in. Her blonde hair swayed when she laughed, and you could almost sense the feeling of joy that surrounded her. Yes, she truly was beautiful, but the most important part was that she reminded him of Her.

Suave as always, he walked up to her and flashed her a small smile before ordering himself a beer. He could sense that she was looking at him curiously, and he knew that she was hooked. He knew that he didn't even have to make contact, his plan would work itself out.

"So, what brings you here, stranger?" Just like he'd thought, the woman next to him took the initiative. He turned his head to face her, and smiled crookedly.

"Just needed a drink after a long day at the office" his reply came out sounding playful, yet sincere, something he knew women like her appreciated. "My name's Felix. Pleasure to meet you."

She grabbed his hand and shook it slowly whilst staring into his eyes.

"Hi Felix" she said before letting go of his hand after shaking it just long enough for him to get the notion that she was probably not in a relationship, and ready for some action. In other words, a woman in his taste. "My name's Becky, pleasure to meet you"

"Pleasure's all mine" he answered. A small feeling of satisfaction started to spread in his chest, and his fingers tingled in anticipation. Soon he'd get his fix.

 

 

 

 


	3. moral ache

 

 

_You do not really care for God’s mercy or His comfort either, so long as you live in any sin. And it is well that you do not; for you can have neither. Your peace will be like a river, when you put away your sin; but not one word of true peace, not one drop of true comfort, can you have till then.  
Alexander Whyte_

 

 

**chapter three; moral ache**

 

“Wake up, we have to go” The cold and monotone voice of Mikasa's boss woke her up, and she blinked a few times in confusion. She had dreamt about being in Germany with Eren and Armin, and the safe, fuzzy feeling that the dream had provided was gone as soon as it came. The young detective sat up and stared at her boss who was holding two cups of coffee. Mikasa stood up and grabbed one with a small thanks. Levi didn't answer, and they started to make their way towards Levi's car. As they passed the hallway she glanced at the clock. 5.50am. She had gotten 4 hours of sleep, so the coffee was really welcome.

“We got the call a few minutes ago. A woman's been murdered at a motel. Seems like our killer striked again.” Levi said as they sat down in his car. Mikasa sighed and wiped her finger, moist from the warm cup, before turning on the radio. She had learned the hard way that her boss was a clean man, someone who probably disinfected his dick before masturbating. The mental image made Mikasa smile, and Levi glanced at her with an annoyed look.

“I really hope you are smiling at something else than the murder, otherwise you're a whole new level of fucked up”

Mikasa sighed and declined to answer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“It's bad” Jean warned them in front of the motel-room. Mikasa and Levi nodded. The younger detective glanced at the pool of vomit a few meters away from them. Jean noticed her gaze and nodded towards an officer who was leaning against his patrol car in a defeated stance, eyes closed. “That's officer Wagner. He was first on scene. Didn't take it too well.”

“I can see that” Levi muttered in disgust. Gore and blood was something that he could handle, but it seemed that something like vomit, snot or any other bodily fluid made his skin crawl.   
They stepped in, Mikasa after Levi, into the motel room. Jean followed after them, his white plastic suit rustling with each step.

 

The room was nice for being a motel room. A big window, grey walls and a nice wooden flooring. The bed was big, which made the headless torso spred on it seem smaller than it actually was.

“The head was found in the bathtub, it's eyes gone and tongue gone.”. The rest of the body, lying on the bed was naked and pale. “Head was removed post-mortem, which explains why there's not as much blood as you'd think.” Jean explained. He was right, even if a crimson pool of blood surrounded the body like a halo, there wasn't nearly as much as there should be at a decapitation scene.   
“It's going to be a long day” Levi muttered.

“Isn't it always?” Mikasa replied shortly.

“Yeah... Seems to be now a days.”

 

 

 

_If I had manners I would apologize for being late and starting our show late, but I don't have any so here's a big fuck you to modern societys rules and orders! I'm Ymir Goldstein, and you're listening to Radio Babylon on 101,8 FM! I hope you all are ready for this, 'cause we have a fucking amazing contest for you once again. Call us and tell us about your craziest one night stand, the best story will win a one year subscription to Hardrock Goliath-magazine, the magazine for people with a taste in music. Speaking of contests, we have a winner for yesterday's contest, so stay tuned to find out who's the lucky bastard who wins two tickets to the Aerosmith show in Rio! Now let get this started with some Gary Moore, and the always so uplifting Still got the blues._

 

 

A sad, almost whiny guitar solo filled the car, before Gary Moore's deep voice joined in. Mikasa smiled, the song reminded her of the better days. It was a day in august when she was 17, and had just broken up with her first ever boyfriend, Aaron Pimento. She, Armin and Eren had stolen a bottle of Jack Daniels and listened to the same song that was now playing from the radio, whilst drinking and cursing the world. Even if the night had ended with her throwing up and never again being able to drink Jack Daniels without feeling sick, it was one of the best nights in her life. That was the moment when she had realized that no matter what, Eren and Armin would always be there for her.   
“You're smiling again” Levi noted.   
“For someone who smiles once every five years I can see why it's confusing to you” Mikasa's voice was dripping with sarcasm. She was annoyed with her boss, even more than usual. Why couldn't she be partner with someone who she liked? Like Reiner and Bertolt, who were best friends outside of the job too. Reiner was the godfather of Betrolt's twin-girls, and Betrolt was Reiner's best man at his wedding. Mikasa could never see her and Levi cracking jokes, or seeing eachother on their past-time.   
“Take the stick out of your ass, I wasn't fucking with you. It was merely an observation.” Levi stated calmly.

“Leave observing things to our case.”

“Oh for fuck's sake Ackerman-”

“Leave it.”

“Whatever.”

They arrived at the station shortly after. Outside, it was raining again.

 

 

 

 

Hanji greeted them with her signature smile. Sometimes Mikasa wondered how she managed to maintain her positive attitude, or her sanity. No matter the case, Hanji didn't seem to be bothered by the darkness that their job brought with it. The same darkness that Mikasa fought of with alcohol, and others with their own vices. Some even used the same drugs that they were fighting to get off the streets. Mikasa glanced at her boss and wondered what's his vices. Maybe he was a drinker, like her. Or maybe his heart was too cold to feel anything. Maybe he didn't need anything. Not that she cared, really. A fucker like him probably just sat at home, cleaning his apartment every chance he got.

“I hope you had a light lunch” Hanji warned before lifting the piece of fabric covering the victim “Our vic is a female in her mid-thirties. Cause of death was suffocation. The bastard cut off her tongue and gauged out her eyes while she was still alive. The blood filled her lounges painfully slow, so the time of death was difficult to determine. Still, I'd say that somewhere between 12 and 2 am. I found the tongue and eyes in her throat.”

Mikasa forced herself to take a deep breath of the cold, stale air. What a way to die. She blinked a few times, trying to get rid of the uneasy feeling that was setting in her body. What kind of psycho were they after?

 

“We also found this in...” Hanji took a deep breath, visibly shaken “In her vagina.” Hanji continued and handed Levi a plastic bag containing a laminated piece of paper with some dried blood on it. He looked at it for a minute before handing it to Mikasa.

 

_Now let them put away their whoredom,_  
and the carcases of their kings, far from me,   
and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.

 

“It's from the Bible” Hanji explained, and Mikasa remembered that she came from a religious family. “Ezekiel 43:9”

“So we're after a religious murderer.” Mikasa thought out loud “Maybe it's someone with a god complex? Thinking he's working for the lord, saving the earth from scum..?”

“Wouldn't be the first time” Levi answered. “But we found nothing on the first victim, no message, no sign that would indicate that there was some kind of religious motive” He glanced at Hanji who sighed.

“You want me to do a second autopsy” she said, already used to Levi's demands. He nodded and Hanji threw her hands up in defeat. “Alright, first thing tomorrow. I need a good night's sleep before, and I have two more bodies that I need to examine tonight. Burn-victim and a drowner, so I suggest you two leave before I get started. The smell isn't going to be pleasant.”

“Is it ever?” Levi said with a rare smile before him and Mikasa started to make their way to the office and the board that was waiting there to be filled with new evidence and theories.

 

After six hours of looking through a bible they loaned (without permission) from detective Weilman, tracking their victims phone calls and bank-card activity, the board in front of them was starting to fill up. The investigation was starting to get going, which made Mikasa ease up. They were checking multiple people who were listed at religious fanatics and possibly lethal, and thought they had the right one. They still had to check it tomorrow, but still, things were looking up.  
The clock on the wall revealed that it was past midnight, and that Mikasa hadn't been home for a day. She longed after a shower, and a good night's sleep in her own bed. Still, something held her from going home, and Mikasa knew what it was. She needed a friend, someone to talk to before heading home her lonely apartment and shitty microwave-dinners. She dialed the familiar number and waited.

“Hallo?” Eren's familiar voice answered in perfect German. “Wer ist da?”

“Eren. It's me” Mikasa answered, trying to swallow the lump that was forming in her throat. “Mikasa.”

“Mikasa hi! Armin, Mikasa's calling! How are you? Oh my god, it's been weeks since we last talked!” Two weeks, and 4 days to be exact, Mikasa thought gloomily.

“I'm fine” she lied “Yeah, just fine, working on a hard case but other than that, I'm fine... When are you guys coming to the states? I miss you” Mikasa tried her hardest not to sound desperate, not to reveal that she needed her childhood friends more than ever.

“Yeah about that, we might actually spend Christmas here. There's a lot going on in school and Franz's never been on a plane, so I'm not sure how he would feel about sitting in one for so long...” Eren explained in an apologetic tone. Mikasa's heart sunk. The three of them spending christmas together was the one tradition she valued, something that she had been looking forward to since august. But then again, she had no right to be upset. They were a couple, and even if they loved her, she couldn't be a third-wheel forever.

“Oh, yeah, no, I totally get it.” Mikasa said, forcing herself to sound care-free.

“But you're super welcome to join us!” her other best friend''s voice joined in. Armin. Mikasa's heart clenched as she heard his soft voice. How could you miss someone this much?

“You know what, I'll probably be busy on Christmas, so this might be for the best” Mikasa explained. It wasn't a complete lie. She could work on christmas, switch shifts, let a collegue spend it with their family. “Anyway, I need to go, something just came up, but I'll talk to you later”

“Okay, bye Mikasa! We love you!”

“Love yo-” A beep signalling that the call's over interrupted her sentence. “-too” She stared at her phone for a few minutes before letting it drop on the table in front of her. A tear fell next to it, and she wiped her eyes angrily before closing them. She breathed in between clenched teeth, trying to calm herself. After a few minutes, the lump in her throat disappeared, and her pulse evened out. Another minute passed, and she felt somewhat calm.

 

“I'm going out for a drink. You wanna join?” Mikasa opened her eyes and met the one's of her boss. He was already wearing his coat, and his foot was impatiently tapping the floor. She didn't really want to have a drink with Levi, she didn't want to spend any more time than necessary with him, but she sure as hell needed a drink. _Who knows, maybe he's more tolerable drunk than sober._ Mikasa nodded, and grabbed her purse.

“Yeah, I think I'll need a drink”

“After these days, make it two” Levi muttered in return.

 

 

 

The bar was sleazy and old, but the beer was cheap and the scotch was even cheaper so Mikasa was more than happy with the place. It was also close to where she lived, just a five minute walk, which meant that she didn't have to take a cab home. She ordered what she always did, a whisky, a beer and a glass of water. She sat down in the back and took a sip from the small glass containing whisky, not bothering to wait for Levi. It wasn't like they had anything to raise their glasses to. Levi sat down in front of her, his drinks matching hers. He raised his eyebrow in amuse.

“Good taste” he said, and Mikasa thought that his voice was warmer than usual. “I didn't take you for someone who drinks beer”

“Looks can be deceiving.” Mikasa mused before raising her glass to Levi. “A toast, to hoping that we catch this motherfucker” Levi mirrored her movement and took a big gulp from his scotch. He grimaced at the aftertaste and put his glass down. They sat in a comfortable silence, drinking their bevarages and eyeing eachother. Levi was the first one to break the silence.

“Look, I'm sorry for what I said in the car. I didn't mean anything, really.”  
“It's alright. I'm an idiot for getting upset. It's just, this job can be frustrating you know. I took it out on you... But then again, I'm not even sure what I'd be without this job”  
“A baker.”  
“Huh?”  
“If I wasn't on the force I'd probably be a baker. I like to bake” Mikasa burst out laughing. She laughed so hard that her eyes watered.  
“Levi, you're drunk” Mikasa laughed and wiped her eye.   
“I might be, but I also like to bake” his tone was a bit hurt, which only made Mikasa smile more. Her asshole partner and boss was a man who loved to bake. That was something that she could've never seen coming. She was about to say something when the barkeeper yelled from somewhere that the bar was closing and that everyone should get their asses home. The detectives obligied, and found themselves outside in the cold night-air.   
“I live close by” Mikasa explained after she declined Levi's offer to share a cab “It's a nice night, I'll walk”  
“I can walk you home” he offered, and Mikasa nodded. The walk seemed to take a lot shorter than usual, probably because she and Levi were immersed in a conversation about his passion for baking. She stopped outside of her apartment building and turned around to face him.

“Do you want to come in? Have another drink” the suggestion seemed to surprise them both. Mikasa knew that she was drunk, and that if sober, she would have never even accepted him following her home. But she was not sober, but drunk and lonely, so her mind was kinda telling her 'fuck it', get even drunker but with company for once.

“Yeah, one drink should be fine” he answered with a shrug.

 

 

Her lips crashed with his in such a force that it sent him crashing towards the sofa. She followed after, tugging at his hair. His lips tasted of whisky and the tasted blended with the aroma of the cigarette Mikasa had smoked on their way back to her place. His hands squeezed her ass, earning a low moan from her lips. In their drunken minds they started to undress each other, pants following shirts, landing on the cold floor in piles. Levi's mouth sought her breast, capturing a nipple, sucking on it harshly. Warmth pooled in Mikasa's belly, and as she felt his erection against her stomach. Her kisses started to go lower and lower, before reaching the edge of his boxers. She pulled them down, and his erection sprung free. She kissed the tip of his dick, before taking it into her mouth. He groaned loudly and grabbed her hair, urging her to suck him harder, to take him deeper. She obliged, earning another moan. After a few minutes, she felt his hand on her shoulder, pushing her away. She ignored it, thinking that it was just because of how close he was to coming, and continued.

“Mikasa, no, stop-” Levi panted, pushing her away from him. She backed off and stared at him in confusion. “This is a mistake” He stood up and pulled his pants up before walking to the door, leaving Mikasa sitting on the floor in her underwear. She heard him shutting the door, and his steps echo before silence filled the apartment. Dread filled her as soon as the situation sunk in.

“ _Fuck_ my life”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter! There might be a bigger wait for the next one, work is killing me and I'm on vacation for the beginning of July, but I'll probably write a little day by day. Still, sometime in July I'll guess that you'll have a new chapter to read.
> 
> I also want to thank everyone that commented on the last chapter, you're the reason I write and the reason this chapter's up this fast.


	4. hello again

_Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence._  
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  
You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

  _A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.  
You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked._

 - _Psalm 91_




 

 

 

_** chapter  four; hello again ** _

 

 

“I still can not believe you” Sasha yelled in shock. “Mikasa, from all the stunts you've pulled this is the craziest”  
“You're telling me..” The two laid on Mikasa's bed, staring at the ceiling. It was Sunday, and the two best friends had decided that the best way to spend it was by doing nothing at all. Mikasa took a long drag of her cigarette and exhaled, slowly, hoping that her embarrassment and frustration would disappear with the smoke that was making it way towards the ceiling.   
“So, let me get this straight...” Sasha started, voice filled with disbelief even though Mikasa had explained the events of the night before many times. First, on the phone, while asking her to come over, and then at least seven times in the last 20 minutes.”You had his dick in your mouth... And he left?!”

“That's about it, yeah”

 “Wow”

 The two laid in silence for a few minutes, before Sasha started giggling. Once she had started, it caught on to Mikasa. The giggling escalated to hysterious fits of laughter, that neither seemed to get to stop. 

 

“Did he even have a big dick? I mean, he's a short man and-”

 

“It was big, Sasha. I was kinda surprised” The two of them giggled, and Mikasa felt a strange feeling mix with the hurt and humiliation. It was a weird feeling of longing and lust. She hadn't really thought about the experience with Levi, not apart from all the shit that she knew that it was going to bring with it, but... He was a pleasure to the eye, and in that moment, she had really wanted him. More than if he would have been just a random guy from a nameless bar, someone that would suit to satisfy her needs. 

 

“Well, that's something, right? I mean, not many people get to see their boss' dick” Sasha said, and let out a laugh. “But I'm sure you'll be fine... I'm starving. I'm going to order some pizzas for us.”

 

Just like that, Sasha's mind was on something else. She picked up her phone and called a number that Mikasa was sure was Sasha's most called one, and started to ask if they still had double cheese. Mikasa listened to her friend order, and tried not to think about the humiliation that was waiting her in less than 24 hours. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Going back to work after a day off felt good, even if Mikasa dreaded seeing Levi and the pile of work that was waiting for her in her office. Outside of the station she lit a cigarette, her fifth on even if it was only 6 am, and took in a long drag. Smoke filled her lounges, and she felt her blood rush in her veins, fueled by the nicotine that she breathed. The cold morning air pinched her cheeks, and Mikasa made a mental note to start wearing her scarf again. The red scarf that she was wearing in all the pictures from a few years back was now somewhere in her closet, almost forgotten. Almost, but a she knew that she could never forget about it. The piece of fabric held so much sentimental value, being the the only thing she had left from her biological mother apart from a few old photographs. Mikasa suddenly felt a ache in her chest, a reminder that it's okay to have feelings, and missing her parents was natural. She stared at the building in front of her, but she wasn't really looking at it. Her mind was pre-occupied with thoughts about her parents, their death, and that she had missed the anniversary of their deaths. It had been a few weeks ago, but Mikasa had been working, totally forgot about it. She felt like a shitty person, maybe the shittiest person on earth. The cigarette burned her finger, and she stopped wallowing in self-pity. Brushing the negative feelings aside, she threw her cigarette aside and walked into the station, hoping that she wouldn't have to work too much overtime. Her mind begged after some rest, but she knew that rest was a luxury in her line of business. 

As soon as she stepped inside, she noticed that the station was almost empty. Some officer must've noticed her confused look, and explained that there was a ceremony downtown, some officer was going to get a medal for heroic actions. Mikasa nodded and made a mental note to check her email more often, since her invite to the event was probably rotting away under the pile of emails waiting to be read. She decided to do it as soon as she stepped inside her office, seeing that Levi wasn't at the station yet. You have 195 unread messages. Mikasa stared at the screen in disbelief. 195 fucking unread messages. She sighed and started from the top, slowly making her way down. After 30 minutes that had felt like an eternity, her reading and answering was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. She looked up and saw Levi standing there.

“Another body. Let's go.” with those words he left, and Mikasa nodded, her heart thudding in her chest. He seemed like himself, cold and all-business. With that though Mikasa grabbed her jacket and prepared herself for the scene.

 

 

 

The ride to the scene was short and silent. To Mikasa's surprise they did not arrive at a motel, but a normal looking house. They stepped inside a nice looking living room, telling them that this was a house of someone normal, someone like them.    
“This way” Jean greeted them and led them to a bedroom. Like always, Mikasa first looked at the room, noticing the tasteful white walls and chestnut furniture, before looking at the victim.- She was, like the two others, laying on the bed in a crimson pool of blood. 

 

“She's been stabbed in the chest, seems like the killer was filled of rage. We've counted at least 10 stab-wounds.” Jean explained. “Nothing's missing it seems. I mean, compared to our last vic. Tongues still there and so.”

 

“She's got a name?” Levi asked, making Jean immediately blush. It was weird like that, Mikasa knew that Jean was more than competent, but he also lacked any self-esteem when it came to Levi or someone higher than him.

 

“Yeah, Pimento, Clara. She lives here with her husband-”

 

“He's brought into questioning. We're going there next.” Levi interrupted, making Jean look even more like a school-boy. Mikasa shook her head, the name Pimento awakening memories in her. Her first boyfriend was named Aron Pimento, but thankfully he didn't have any siblings, meaning the woman on the bed surely just shared the same surname. Back in the car Mikasa looked out of the window, staring at the rainy road. “You think her husband is the killer?” she asked. 

 

“He might. He was found sitting next to the bed, covered in what seems to be her blood. He didn't even call 911, her colleague did when discovering she wasn't at work and didn't answer her phone. She was a workaholic so that seemed suspicious”

 

Mikasa nodded, hoping that it was true. That they had caught the killer. That women were safe. That no one else would have to meet such a grim end. 

 

 

 

 

 

_ Hello and welcome back to Radio Babylon 101,8 FM! I hope that you had a good weekend, I spent it drunk and can't remember if it was any good or not. Monday again, but that has never stopped us from partying like it's Saturday! You're probably longing for some  swee-eet tunes, and if that's the case, I'm your girl! Let's start today off with a long time favourite, Running Free by none other than the legen-fuckin'-dary Iron Maiden. As always, I'm your host Ymir Goldstein and this is Radio Babylon. _

 

 

 

 

While driving back to the station Lev had informed Mikasa that he would take care of the questioning, and she knew that there was no point in trying to argue. What had happened between them was also not discussed, and no one even tried to mention it. Still, it was there, like an elephant in the room. Or car, in this case. When arriving back at the station Levi walked towards Mikasa, without waiting for her. She hurried after him, wanting to see the questioning, and the man that might have committed at those hideous murders. Behind the thick glass separating her from the questioning-room, she looked at Mrs.Pimento's husband. Aron Pimento. She felt as if someone had knocked the wind out of her. It was Aron. Her Aron. The boy she had lost her virginity with, the kind and sweet Aron that had bought her a cheesy teddy bear for Valentines Day. The room started spinning, and Mikasa had to take a step back, leaning on the wall, trying not to throw up. Could he really be the killer? No way. No way in hell. She knew it deep inside, for fuck's sake, it was Aron. Suddenly the door opened, and Levi walked in, sitting on the other side of the table. 

 

“Aron Pimento” it wasn't a question, more like a statement. The man in front of Levi nodded, eyes filled with tears. The blue under his eyes contrasted against his almost grayish skin made him look sick. Tears started streaming down his face, and he started shaking as sobs overtook his body.   
“She- She was, she was just lay-laying the-there a-a-and oh my god there was so much bl-bl-blood and oh my god Clara she's-” Mikasa couldn't hear the rest of his sentence as his crying made it to an incoherent mess. Before Levi had time to even ask his first question, the door opened and a blonde woman stepped in.

 

“Annie Leonhart. I'm representing Aron Pimento” the blonde presented herself before sitting down next to Aron. Once again, Mikasa felt like she couldn't breathe. Her ex Annie was Aron's lawyer. The odds were so slim, but apparently not in Mikasa's favour. She looked at Annie, admitting to herself that she was as beautiful as Mikasa remembered. Her grey pant-suite made her eyes seem even more icy-blue, and Mikasa knew that Annie was well aware of it. Nothing was unthought of with Annie. Everything she did was calculated, everything from her friends to her hobbies to the way she was now staring at Levi, challenging him to say something out of line. Something that would give her grounds to cancel the interrogation and walk away. She was one hell of a lawyer, that Mikasa had to give her. Mikasa had many nights, when Annie slept next to her, wondered if she also was nothing more but a piece of Annie's great plan. A detective and a lawyer, what a power couple. But that was before, a long time ago it seemed. Now she was staring at the scene in front of her, hoping that it was all a nightmare. She looked through the glass, staring at the three persons inside the questioning room. Aron, Annie and Levi. All of them persons that she had had sex with. Well, almost. The absurdity of the situation almost made her laugh. Why did the gods punish her like this? Aron was her first serious boyfriend. They had dated for a while when she was 18, but it had ended when he was accepted into a college in the UK. It seemed to be an ongoing theme in her life; people she cared about moving halfway across the globe. As she now stared at her ex sitting in front of Levi, she could see that the years had treated him well. His hair was as thick as ever, its colour reminding her of dark honey. His skin was tan under the grey in his face, revealing that he had been abroad not too long ago. Had Clara been with him, she wondered. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock behind her. She turned around and saw Reiner peak in. He raised his eyebrow in question, wondering if Levi was already questioning Aron. Mikasa shook her head and walked over to him, closing the door behind her.

 

“You think that's our guy?” Reiner asked, staring into Mikasa's eyes. She sighed and grimaced slightly.

 

“Not a chance in hell... I don't know why Levi feels the need to question him” she muttered and dragged her hand through her hair, not caring to explain why she didn't suspect Aron.

 

“Better to be safe than sorry. Besides, the press is going crazy.” Reiner said. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“At what time did you come home today Mr.Pimento?” Levi asked staring at him with a neutral expression.

 

“Excuse me, is my client accused of something? His wife has been murdered, and I am sure that you are busy with trying to find the killer.” Annie interfered. 

 

“I am merely trying to find out the whereabouts of your client, Ms.Leonhart. Now, Mr.Pimento, if you could answer my question.”

 

“I- I had been out of town for the weekend, I talked to Clara yesterday, she was fine yesterday, how could someone have-” Aron started sobbing again, tears and snot coating his face. For a second Levi looked disgusted, but his neutral facade returned as quickly as it had been wiped away. “I came ho-home today morning, I think it was at eight, and she was dead, oh god, she was just laying there. There was so much blood...” 

 

“So you were home at 8 AM today Mr. Pimento. Why did you not call 911 immediately? Ambulance and police didn't arrive until 9 AM.”   
“I don't know, fuck, I just sat there and there was so much blood”  
“You can question my client later.” Annie said and stood up. “He is in no condition to answer your heartless questions.” Levi didn't argue against her as she helped Aron up and walked out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“His alibi checks out.” Mikasa muttered as she put the phone down. She had called the company where Aron was working, where they confirmed that he had been on the seminar from Friday to Sunday morning.” Mikasa left out the 'I told you so' part, even if she wanted to stick it in her idiot of a boss' face. She had also left out the part of her knowing him, even if she knew that that was something she had to disclose as soon as possible. 

 

“Doesn't mean that he didn't kill his wife.” Levi said. Mikasa raised her eyebrow at him, wordlessly asking him if she was fucking kidding her. “Even if it is most unlikely” he continued after seeing her face. They stared at the white boards in front of them, knowing that they would soon need a third one.    
“None of this makes any sense. Clara Pimento was murdered in her home. The two other victims were not. We have nothing that links all three. Petra Ral was murdered in a motel. She presumably met the murderer in a bar. Worked in a bank, no criminal history. Elsa Jacobs was also killed in a motel. Met the murderer in a bar, worked as a social-worker... But Clara Pimento doesn't fit in. She was murdered at home, her credit card wasn't used on that day, and that kinda rules out that she was at any bar.” Levi analyzed, saying the same things they had gone through earlier. “She might have paid with cash, but that makes no sense.”

 

“It might.” Mikasa said and pointed at the screen of her laptop. “Look, she's in AA”  
“She's an alcoholic?” Levi moved up behind Mikasa, reading the file that Mikasa had opened. Clara Pimento had a DUI, and she had been sentenced some fines and to join her local AA. “That explains why she would have used cash.”  
“We can't be sure though. I can go and show her pictures to some bars close by her home-”  
“No, don't. She wouldn't have visited any close to home. Look further.” Mikasa nodded, and they both fell silent. Suddenly very aware how close to her Levi was, the air filled with tension, and her skin started to tingle. Her throat seemed dry, and he also seemed to notice their position. His hand touched her side, gripping hard. She let out a small sigh and leaned into his grip, not wanting to turn around to face him. Instead she stood upright, pressing her ass against his groin. She felt his erection against her, and his hand wandered up before setting on her breast. He squeezed it lightly, and Mikasa couldn't help but to moan. Then, as quickly as it had started, the moment was over. Levi took a step back and coughed.  
“I can go around and ask about Clara. You stay here, I'm sure that Hanji is soon ready.” he muttered and left. Mikasa was left alone in the room, frustration and lust making her body feel heavy. Then, those feelings were put aside as anger filled her. How dare he?! She thought to herself- Use me like a toy, that short motherfucker. Fueled by her rage she started writing on the rapport of today's crime-scene, trying to distract her will to strangle Levi the next time she saw him. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a lot of stress that reflects on my writing, it's not near as good as I'd hope. Still, I hope that some of you still like this chapter. A lot of rivamika action in the next chapter. Have a good week<3


	5. could this be

 

 

 

_Whatsoever I've feared has come to life_   
_Whatsoever I've fought off became my life_   
_Just when everyday seemed to greet me with a smile_   
_Sunspots have faded and now I'm doing time_   
_Now I'm doing time_

 

_Fell on Black Days - Soundgarden_

 

 

 

 

 

He looked at the woman in the corner of the bar. She wasn't perfect, but she would do. She was a bit too tall for his liking, and her hair was somewhat too short, but she was a blonde. From the look of the roots, it was fake, but still. She reminded him of her. A mixture of lust and anticipation filled his chest, he was so close to getting his fix that he had to control his erection that was pressing against his trousers. He knew he was an addict of some sorts, and sometime long ago he had tried to control it, to stop his urges, but that was then. Now he felt in total control, he no longer saw his urge, his fetish as a negative thing, no, quite the opposite. It made him feel strong, powerful. It made him feel like a God. He orders a drink, something feminine and expensive, and walks over to the woman that he's eyed for a while. The game is on. Let the chase begin.

 

**chapter five; could this be**

 

 

“I just talked to Marina, a friend of Clara” Mikasa said as she put her phone down. “She said that she had suspected that Clara was drinking again, but she never confronted her. I also contacted a few bars, but no one seemed to recognize Clara. I sent Reiner down with a photo, he's going to check out the security tapes at a few of them”

 

“Good” Levi answered, tone as monotone as ever.

 

The awkward setting was back, and Mikasa hated it. She wasn't the kind of person who had on-off relationships, or asked her friends what to text someone. If she wanted something, she went ahead and got it. For her and Levi to be in this kind of situation irritated her to no end. She hated that he pretended that there was nothing between them, it was as if they were strangers. Mikasa tapped her pencil against the table, a nervous habit, the only one that Mikasa had left. Apart from smoking, but she saw that more like a hobby, disgusting as it might sound.

 

The awkward setting was interrupted by a obnoxious beeping from Levi's phone. He looked at his phone screen before turning to Mikasa.

  
“Hanji wants us to come down and visit her.”

 

“Okay” she answered before muttering something about him needing to change his weird message signal. He ignored her, and she shot an angry glare at his back.

 

 

  **.**

**.**

**.**

 

 

 

 

 

Hanji greeted them with her signature grin, something that had taken Mikasa weeks to get used to. She just couldn't see how someone who worked with bodies and victims of horrid crimes could be so cheerful and filled with life.

 

“Hello, and welcome to my palace” The eccentric pathologist said and laughed at her own joke. Levi nodded at her, aqnologing her joke. “I've been studying our victims the past days, and as much as it pains to admit, I had missed something earlier. It seems that there was a note hidden inside of both of them. I found a note inside Petra Ral's anal cavity, similar to the one that we found in the second victim.

“Becky Dobbs.” Mikasa mumbled “Her name was Becky Dobbs.” Both Hanji and Levi ignored her, eyeing the note inside the minigrip-bag.

 

“ _But if in the open country a man meets a young woman who is betrothed, and the man seizes her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die. But you shall do nothing to the young woman; she has committed no offense punishable by death. For this case is like that of a man attacking and murdering his neighbor, because he met her in the open country, and though the betrothed young woman cried for help there was no one to rescue her”_ Hanji read out loud, visibly disgusted.

 

“From the bible?” Levi asked. Hanji nodded, before moving on to their latest victim, Clara Pimento.

 

“I also found a note in her body, but this one was inside her throat... _But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.”_

 

“This confirms what we've suspected... Whoever's doing this is a religious nut, he's on some kind of twisted path of rightfulness...” Mikasa said, trying not to feel guilty for not already having the monster behind bars. 

 

“How's the search going? I heard that your last suspect was a no-go” Hanji said sympathetically. 

 

“We've contacted all the churches nearby, mental-hospitals and looked through criminal records but so far...” Levi answered shaking his head. 

 

So far nothing, exactly, Mikasa thought grimly. No church had let go any employees that fit their profile, and the watch-list that police kept of people that might be dangerous also fell short. It was as if this person appeared out of nowhere, started killing and then disappeared before striking again, leaving another butchered woman at some disgusting motel. 

 

 

.

.

.

 

_Hello and welcome back to Radio Babylon. You have just listened to Rainbow in the Dark, by Dio. Before we continue, I'd like to take a moment to send out a small message. As you all know, theres a murderer on the loose, who's targeting women. As a big fan of women and as a woman myself I hope that they catch the psycho behind these awful murders. 'Til that, stay safe. That's enough of me bein' serious, now let's continue with this shit-show! Next some old school Alice Cooper, here comes Poison!_

 

.

.

.

 

 

 

 

 

“So we have three victims. First one, Petra Ral, recently divorced, 37, worked as a secretary, no hobbies. She was found at the LoveHill Motel. Then there's Becky Dobbs, 34, single, an active member in her local animal rights department, worked as a dentist. She was found at Möller Inn. Then we have our third victim, Clara Pimento, 32. She was married, worked as a import specialist at Titan Co. A recovering alcoholic. Found in her own bed. All three were blonde, attractive women in their thirties.” Levi went through what they already knew, stroking his stubble in frustration.

 

The two of them were once again standing in front of the board that was filled with pictures, numbers and addresses that all had so far led to nothing.

“We know that they all met at a bar, met someone that they wanted to spend the night with-”

“She doesn't fit in.” Mikasa interrupted. “Clara doesn't fit in. She was married, and found in her own bed. If you're going to cheat on your partner, why do it at home? In your own bed?”

“She was an alcoholic. It's a disease that makes you do things, it fogs up your brain.”

Mikasa looked at Levi and wondered how much experience he had with alcoholics, if he was talking about personal experience. He noticed her gaze and shrugged.

“My mother drank. Believe me when I say that it is fully possible that Clara dragged this guy to her home for a one night stand”

Mikasa nodded, and brought her gaze back to the board. There was something they were missing, something that they had not thought about. She needed a break.

“I'm going out for a smoke.” she muttered.

 

 

Outside, Mikasa's head felt a lot clearer. She lit her cigarette, and took a moment to appreciate it, mind clear. Just as she was about to light another, she heard Levi call her from the window behind her.

“Reiner called. We've got a lead.”

 

 

“So, I found the bar where Clara Pimento spent her last night. They still had their tapes, they're being sent to us right now. The bartender also recalled her, and he remembers who she was talking to.” Reiner looked excited, and Mikasa could match her emotions to his. “The bartender thinks his name was Nick, but that's probably not his real name.”

 

“Great work Reiner” Levi said and walked over to his computer. “The tapes are here.”

 

Mikasa and Reiner gathered around Levi as he clicked on the file. A low quality surveillance tape started playing, and after a few minutes they spotted Clara Pimento sitting by the bar. Her face was visible, and she was talking to someone with his back against the camera. He seemed to know where the camera was, because he had not once turned around. After about fifteen minutes they both left, Clara visibly intoxicated.

 

“Call the bartender in, he can describe the man to us. Take Berthold with you” Levi commanded. Reiner nodded and left as quickly as he had arrived. Mikasa felt thrilled. They would soon know what he looked like. They were closer.

“Mikasa, you come with me. We're going to the archive, we should go through criminal records again, now that we have an idea what this guy looks like.”

“What his back looks like” she scoffed, but followed him to the elevator.

 

**.**

**.**

**.**

 

The archive was on the bottom floor, a disgusting room with a sofa used for napping on the clock and cabinets that hadn't been properly organized in a few years. They stepped in, and Mikasa felt a shiver going down her spine. It was cold down there, and she also wasn't so fond of being deep under ground.

“You can look through the files there, I'll take the ones on the right” Levi said, pointing towards the room on the left. Mikasa sighed

“We don't have to split up, you know. I can pretend what happened never happened, but I don't like this, us, behaving like we're in high school.”

Levi tensed, visibly taken aback by what she said. “It's not like that-”

“Yes it is. You've been weird all day, and I don't get it. I thought you wanted what happened. I know I wanted it” Mikasa took a step towards him, challenging him. Tension filled the air, alongside with the scent of his cologne.

“You know that I wanted it Mikasa. It's just not that easy-”

 

That's all she needed to hear. She kissed him, demanding more than she had received the last times. He grabbed her hair, and deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth with his tongue. Mikasa's hands fumbled with the zipper on his pants, the feeling of his erection against the fabric under her hands sending shivers down her spine. She was slowly becoming undone, his hands undressing her whilst kissing her like there was no tomorrow. They made their way towards sofa, footsteps coordinating like a dance, pieces of clothing left behind on the floor like rose petals. Levi ripped open a small foil package, and Mikasa realized that she hadn't even thought about a condom. She was too aroused to think about protection. All she wanted was to feel Levi inside her.   
“I want to be on top” she whispered, voice thick with lust. Levi didn't answer, he simply sat down on the sofa and stared into her eyes. Mikasa positioned her on top of him, steering his cock inside her with her hand. She let out a small moan when she felt his tip against her entrance. She sat down slowly, enjoying every second of him stretching her inside. After positioning her hands on his chest she started a steady rhythm, gliding up and down on his length. Levi grabbed her hips, so hard that she could almost feel the bruises starting to form. It was as they had done it a thousand times, there were no words needed. Their moans echoed in the room, and Mikasa felt her orgasm coming closer and closer by each push. Levi could feel her muscles clench around him, and he grabbed her hair, forcing her down to meet his lips. Mikasa came hard, her scream muffled by his lips. Levi followed soon after, a few hard thrusts and he followed her into bliss.   
  


After, they laid in silence, her forehead against his chest. The tension was back. Mikasa turned to Levi, trying to read his face. He opened his mouth to say something, but Mikasa interrupted him.

“Don't” she whispered, staring into his eyes. “Don't say it's a mistake, don't start with that shit again. You can't treat me like that”

Levi stayed silent for a few seconds, stroking her breast slowly. “I won't. I'm sorry, it's just that we're colleagues. I'm your boss for fuck's sake. I'm scared that this will go to shit, I have a good experience of that”

“Of fucking your colleagues?”

“No, Mikasa. Of relationships, or whatever you want to call it. I'm not an easy person”

“That's an understatement” Mikasa said with a chuckle. Levi smiled and pinched her nipple playfully.

“Behave” he muttered against her temple, his lips warm against it.

“Yes sir”

The two laid in silence for a while, this time a comfortable one, and Levi could feel himself start to doze of. His eyelids felt heavy, and Mikasa was warm against his chest. Just as he was about to snooze off, her voice awoke him.

“So, how do you want to do this? Just casual sex, or was this a once thing?”

“I don't know... I like you, and fucking you was nice. What do you think?”  
“I'm not fucking anyone else at the moment... And I'm not looking for anyone else you know. To fuck.”

“Let's keep it like that. We'll see where things go” A yawn escaped Levi's lips, and Mikasa chuckled.

“Yeah. Let's keep it like that.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not going to say that I've found a way to update regularly, 'cause that's not the case. Still, Thank you to anyone who's still reading this story<3 It means a lot to me when you comment. I'll try to answer your comments this time.


	6. sons and daughters

_“The bow of God's wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood.”_

  
Jonathan Edwards, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

 

 

**chapter six; sons and daughters**

                                                                         

The search through the archives hadn´t helped their investigation; whoever the man was, he hadn’t been in trouble with the law before. If he had, he hadn´t been caught. No missing persons seemed to match his victims either, further suggesting that his killings that they had discovered were the only ones that he had committed.

Whatever had triggered him to start killing, was also unknown. Their profile suggested that they were looking for a middle-aged man, someone who was brought up in a strict, authoritarian and fundamentally religious home. He was probably educated, and well respected in his community and social circle. A narcistic psychopath, to put it bluntly.

 

Mikasa crossed her arms and stared at the board that she had spent what felt like the last month looking at. “He probably hates his mom, or some other female in his close family. He targets women who looks like her, he punishes them, he takes out the anger he feels for her.”

“The sexual sadism in the crimes suggests that it was someone who acted promiscuously. He thinks he´s the righteous one, quoting bible-verses and all that.” Levi mused “Maybe his sister?”

Mikasa nodded. “That would explain the passion, many people who feel incestual urges also feel disgusted by them. He would´ve hated himself for loving his sister in a perverse way.”

“His religious upbringing could also explain why he targeted the anger he felt against her. The culture inside these circles sees the woman as less than the man, after all, Eve´s the reason behind original sin.”

“So, our unsub wanted his sister, but he knew it was wrong. He hated her for making him feel like that. Maybe he saw her hang out with other boys, making the hatred he felt grow”

“That´s the most likely theory.” Levi agreed “The only question left to answer is how the hell do we find him? No religious groups we interviewed gave us any answers.”

“Maybe we haven´t found the right one. The family he grew up in probably isolated themselves. Do we know of any small fundamental groups that were active in this area in the 70´s. We´re looking for something small, consisting of less than 50 people…”

“We need to go back to the archive.” Levi said, a smile forming on his lips as the image of what happened there a few days ago played in his mind.

Mikasa sighed and smacked his thigh. “I guess so, but only to look after files this time. I think we broke the couch the other day.”

 

 

 

 

“I think I found it” Levi walked over to Mikasa and looked at the file in her hands. “There´s not much, but they called themselves Japheth’s successors. They were suspected of likely significant harm of a child in 1979. The case was dropped when no evidence was found. No one was willing to testify, or even talk to the police”

“Who was the detective on the case?”

“Detective Morén”

“Frank Morén, yeah, I know him. He was a legend here when I started. I´ll call him, ask him when we can visit”

 

 

 

 

 -

-

-

 

 

Frank Morén looked good for his age. At 77 years, his hair was white as snow and his skin wrinkly and saggy, but his eyes were bright and awake. They sat down in his living room, it´s ascetic furnishing suggesting that there was no Mrs. Morén around.

“Mind if I smoke?” Mikasa and Levi shook their heads, and Mikasa also lit a cigarette to accompany Morén, noticing Levi´s nostrils flaring in disgust for a second.

“So, you think that this group, the Japheth’s Successors, have something to do with your case” he mused before taking a long drag of his cigarette. He looked out of the window for a second before returning his gaze to the two detectives. “It still bothers me, you know. It´s been 42 years, and I still think about it. We were called in to check on a suspected case of abuse. When we got there, the priest welcomed us. Or you know, whatever you can call him. He was the leader, a disgusting old man. Everyone seemed scared of him, and even I felt that there was something wrong with him. He wouldn´t talk to my partner, Louisa, saying it was against their rules and believes. Can you imagine that? The women were not allowed to speak to the men, and boys couldn´t speak to girls either. Siblings could live a whole life without talking to each other. Only when the man turned 18 was he allowed to talk to females. It was rumored that the men had multiple wives, some as young as 13 but, there was no proof so… It was sick…. Anyway, I´m sorry, I´m rambling…”

Morén put out his cigarette against the ashtray on the table before lighting a new one.  “Yes, so when we got there, we could see that everything wasn´t as it should be. The kids were skinny, and they looked scared. No one dared to look at us, they just sat there, still, like they were goddamn mannequins. We questioned the men, since the women wouldn´t talk, and neither would the children. I wanted to open an investigation, but… Times were different then. We didn´t have the laws and regulations that we have today. All we could do was to leave and hope that nothing like that would happen again”

“Did it?” Mikasa asked “Did it happen again?”

“Not to our knowledge. We never got any reports again, and soon they seemed to go underground or something. Since the children were all home-schooled and the men worked within the church, there was no way of keeping up with them, there wasn’t any database to check from.”

Levi cleared his throat and blew away some smoke that was hovering in front of him “Where did they live?”

“In an old house in Malm. It was next to the railway station.”

Mikasa and Levi looked at each other. Malm was the industrial area, located close by. They could still visit there today. Morén saw the meaningful gaze that they had shared, and stood up. Mikasa and Levi followed his lead, shaking his hands as the started to make their departure.

  
“I hope that you catch the bastard who´s murdering all these women.” He said, suddenly looking much older. “We really tried to end the fucking cult back in the day.”

He was feeling guilty, Mikasa realized. Unsure what to say, she nodded to him before walking out. She could hear Levi share a few words with him inside, so she walked over to the car. Levi probably knew what to say to the older detective, maybe sooth his guilt a bit. Mikasa had never been too good with feelings, so she gladly let Levi take care of that bit.

Levi joined her in the car after a few minutes, deep in thought. She decided against asking him what they had talked about, and started the engine.

 

 

 

 

**-**

**-**

**-**

 

 

Malm was a grey area of the town, most shops already closed and the population growing older and older with no children being born. Crime was also low, so the city council had no plans to rebuild or freshen up the neighborhood. Mikasa drove to the address that they had been given. And was greeted by an old building that had probably functioned as a school in some past time. The yard was surrounded by a tall fence, and the gate was locked with an enormous padlock.

“I guess they don´t want company” Levi muttered. Mikasa nodded and parked her car against the fence. They stepped out, the chilly wind causing shivers to run up Mikasa’s spine. They walked around the fencing, but there was no one in sight. The house seemed abandoned, and dread was starting to fill Mikasa. Did this lead, like all the others, lead to nothing but a dead-end?

Suddenly, something rustled in the bushes close to the gates. Mikasa walked over, hand hoovering over her gun that was resting in its holster against her upper thigh. When she walked closer, she saw a woman, maybe in her late 60´ standing with her back pressed against the fence. It was obvious that she had tried to hide from them.

“Hello ma'am” Levi said and showed his badge. “Do you live here? We would like to know a few things about the people that have lived in that house”

“I can´t talk to you” the old lady whispered, fear etched on her face. She pulled her scarf tighter around her small frame and looked around her, hoping that no one was seeing her.

“Please, ma’am, it´s important” Mikasa pleaded “Do you know this man” she showed the old woman the picture that they had sketched based upon witness statements from the bartender. The old woman looked at it, eyes widening.

“Eli” she gasped, grasping at the picture. It wrinkled in her grip, and tears started to fill her eyes “Lord giveth me strength”

Mikasa´s heart skipped a beat. They had a name. “Eli? Ma’am, do you know him? Who is he”

“My son, Eli, High priest and judge; teacher of Samuel; father of Hophni and Phinehas- “

“We need you to come with us to the station, ma’am. It´s urgent” Levi spoke, and the woman grasped the picture tighter, whilst turning her gaze down. She was muttering for herself, something that sounded like a mix between a cry and a prayer. Mikasa led her to the car.

 

 

**-**

**-**

**-**

 

“My son would never to this. He may be a lost sheep, but the Lord will lead him back, he is a son of Japheth. He will return and then, his sins will be forgiven- “ the woman continued her rambling, and Mikasa sighed and glanced at the watch on the wall. 19.54. They had been sitting in the interrogation room for over an hour, and Mikasa was none the wiser.

“Ma´am, do you have any other children besides Eli?”  she tried again, but was again met with nonsense. Deciding it was time to take a break, she muttered the time into the recorder and paused it.

“This isn´t going anywhere” Mikasa muttered as she stepped out of the interrogation-room. “All she rambles about is how her son will return, and about her Lord. I can´t reach her.”

  
“Go out and take a break Mikasa” Levi said sympathetically. He had been following the interrogation, and was surprised that Mikasa had managed to continue as long as she had. Levi would´ve walked out a lot sooner.

“You´re urging me to go out and take a smoke?” Mikasa asked, eyebrow raised in amusement. “That´s a first”

“Shut up and go take your fucking cigarette before I regret it” Levi shot back with a wink. “I´ll continue while you´re out”

Mikasa smiled thankfully to Levi before making her way outside. The interrogation room was in the far back of the building, next to a long corridor that ended with an emergency exit. Mikasa walked outside and took a deep breath of the cool air. It was already 8pm, and the only light that illuminated the small alley was that from a light that buzzed against the wall on the station. Mikasa lit her cigarette and took a few steps. She had been sitting in the interrogation room for a while, and her muscled ached, yearning after some movement. She was so deep in her thoughts, that she didn’t hear someone behind the dumpsters. She might’ve heard him, if it wasn´t for the buzzing that the almost broken-down lamp emitted. She didn´t hear, or see anything, before he was behind her.

 “You talked to my _mother_.” She felt the cold edge of a blade against her throat. Panic filled her, and she dropped her cigarette on the ground, small sparks landing next to her shoes before turning to nothing but microparticles of ash. “Don´t make a sound, or I will slit your throat open” the knife pressed harder against her skin, and she felt it´s tip cut into her skin. She could feel his frame against her. He was bigger than her, taller, and probably stronger. There was nothing she could to, but to whisper a small “okay”

“We have a lot of talking to do, agent Ackerman” he whispered as he lowered his knife. Before Mikasa had time to react, to spin around and attack him, the knife was replaced with a needle, sinking into her throat. She blinked once, twice, before slumping into his arms. She was still awake, but her body wasn´t. All she could do was hope that Levi would soon notice that she hadn´t returned. As he dragged her towards a car that stood parked a few meters away, she stared at the door, hoping that Levi would walk out, that someone would walk out and notice her, save her. She couldn´t fall victim to the man that they were after, she didn´t want to die, not yet, not like this. She stared at the door, maybe someone was coming, someone had to come-

The tailgate closed with a slam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few chapters left! Let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> There it is! Chapter one to my new story. For once I kinda know where I am going with this one. Please let me know what you think in the comments.


End file.
